What's Your Everest?

Last week I watched the movie Everest with my family, and it really struck a chord. [There’s no need for a spoiler alert as I promise I won’t ruin it for you by revealing too much.] It’s a biographical adventure film based on the 1996 true story of several expedition groups’ experiences while climbing to the summit of Mount Everest, the tallest peak in the world.

It’s a story about extreme challenges – physical, mental and emotional – and the struggle to survive some of the harshest conditions imaginable. It’s a story about confronting your own fears but pressing on; a story about your life’s dependence on your fellow climbers. Your life is literally in the hands of your teammates …

… and most importantly, your guide and Sherpa.

I love movies and stories that remind me I’m not alone in my struggles, that others have gone before me, and that the hard-fought lessons they learned can teach me too.

You too?

The role that I loved most in this movie was none of the main characters, but that of the Sherpa.

He’s the expert Nepalese guide who has scaled the mountain many times, knows where the deep crevasses are and how to avoid them. For in the harsh conditions of Everest, there is no margin for error. Hesitation and mistakes can cost you not only your life, but those of your teammates.

The Sherpa knows how to keep you safe on your journey … and get you to your goal – the summit (and back) successfully – provided you listen and take his advice without hesitation.

In the similar way, I see myself serving my clients as a sort of wellness or healthy lifestyle Sherpa … as an expert guide to those seeking to reach the top of their summit: Peak Wellness.

The Sherpa knows the way … guiding you past the dangerous obstacles that you’d otherwise be vulnerable to: the seemingly endless avalanche of misinformation about health remedies, detours into bad advice, and dead-ends of hopelessness and frustration.    

What is the seemingly insurmountable health or lifestyle mountain that’s looming in front of you … taunting you to be mastered? What obstacle(s) stands between you and the summit?

If you’re reading this anywhere but at www.sophozwellness.com, head over there to my blog and leave me a comment about your Sherpa.